The 4th District Supervisor race has taken an unexpected turn. Virginia Bass was supposed to coast to victory bolstered by her five-to-one funding advantage and a vast reservoir of good will. It is axiomatic that politicians are most likely to turn negative when they are scared. Virginia and Matt must be terrified. They have chosen to introduce the sleaziest political ad in local history.

I’m talking about her commercial showing a young woman filling out her ballot while saying “I don’t want my first vote to go to a slacker.” Why does Virginia use an actress instead of speaking directly to the voters? Does she think she can escape responsibility for the ad she approved merely by staying off-camera?

Calling someone a “slacker” verges on libel. Wikipedia defines a “slacker” as “a person who habitually avoids work or lacks the work ethic.” What has Chris Kerrigan done to warrant this label? Was it serving eight years on the Eureka City Council? Was it then earning a BA at HSU with a 3.4 GPA? Is it his current service on the boards of two nonprofits? Virginia and Matt need to make another ad, one in which she faces the camera and states clearly why she is calling her opponent a “slacker.” We’re waiting.

The 4th District deserves a supervisor who speaks for himself, not through a surrogate, and who is not beholden to special interests. Vote for Chris Kerrigan!